Device for locating and raising sunken submarines



April 6 1926. 1,579,760

L. T. GARDNER DEVICE FOR LOCATING AND RAISING SUNKEN SUBMARINES Filed Oct. 27, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 A ril '6 1926. 1,579,760

| T. GARDNER DEVICE FOR LOCATING AND RAI'S1NG SUNKEN SUBMARINES Filed Oct. 27, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 gwmmtoc April 6, 1926.

' L. T. GARDNER DEVICE FOR LOCATING AND RAISING SUNKEN SUBMARINES Filed Oct. 27, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Apr. 6,1926,

. l UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE.

LEONARD T. GARDNER, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

DEVICE FoR LOCATING AND 'nnrsrne sunnnnsunivmninns.

'Application filed October-27, 1925-. Serial No. 65,153.

Sunken Submarines of which the followin is a specification.

This invention relates to devices for rareing sunken submarines and has special ret- I erence to means for guiding a hoisting cable down to a submarine which has sunk and connecting the cable tosuch submarine upon itsreaching the latter.

Qne important object of the. invention is to provide an improved guise rope andbuoy controlling mechanism for use in connection. with. such devices. 2

A second important object of the invention is toprovide an improved arrangement of buoy: and buoy holder in such devices.

A third important object ot the invention is to. provide an improved hoisting cable guide member and grip device for carrying a hoisting cable down to the submarine.

Alfourth important object oi the invention is to provide improvedmeans on thesubniarine for engaging the grip device.

With the above and other-objects in view as will be'herei naiter: apparent, the invention consistsv in general of certain novel details. of ='construction and combinations of parts hereinafteriully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings andspeci-ti Cfllily claimed. i

Intheaccompanyingdrawings like characters of reference indicate like parts inthe several views, and:

Figure 1 is a transverse section through the upper part of a submarine hull showing one of the complete devices in position,-t-he same being shown partly in section and: partlyin elevation.

Figure 2 is an. enlarged section on the line 2 -2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3' is an enlarged section on the line 3 3 of'Figure 1.

Figure 4 is'a half elevation and half section of the device at right angles. to Figure 1, the grip. being shown engaged.

Figure 5 isa plain view partly in section showing the grip engaging members, the buoy and other parts being omitted.

Figure 6 is an enlarged vertical section through the grip member. 7

Figure 'Z is an enlarged cross section of the grip member shank on the line 77 of Figured q I Figure .8 is a cross section of a submarine equipped with this invention showing the buoy in full lines in the usual position and in dotted lines" when the submarine is sunk.

Figure 9 is a detail view showing the clutch mechanism partly engaged.

Figure 10 is section onthe line. 10l0 of Figure .8.

' A portion 10 of the upper part of a submarine hull is provided with an opening 11,

in which is seated the trusto pyramidal upper part 12 or a casing having a flange 13 so secured to the outer side of the hull; as to ing is. extended downwardly from the. part 12 in rectangular tubular form ll, being provided with-opposedsubstantially semiinalre a water and airtight joint. The case cylindrical portion-s15 just below the part -mainhousing may be braced to suitable joints within the hull by brace rods 19.. Journalled in the cover plate and gear housing is; a drum' shaft on' which is fixed a drum; 21 having a buoy line 22 wound thereon, this. buoy line- 'forming a, guide cable. This, line passes up;

wardly the'casing and hasits free end connected by a bolt 23 to an bolt'24: fixed in the, bottom ot-a buoy 25 having its lower partlconformiaig in shape and size tothe upper partof the portion 12 of theicasing andhaving itsupper part rounded, Centrally of the top of the buoy isa well 25 wherein-is an eye bolt 26 by aid-of which the buoy may-be hoisted on arescue boat.

'One end of the shaft 20 projects within the gear housing and on this end is fixed a gear 27 with which meshes va'gear 28 mounted on a shaft 29 revoluble and slidable in aligned bearings in the gear housing. Thisshatt' carries, outside of thehousin-g, a ratchet 30* wherewith engagesa pawl 31. Also on the shaft is a shipper ring 32 engaged by a shipper lever 33 fixed to: a shaft 34 actuated by a lever 35. It is obvious that the shaft 34 may be of any desired length so that the lever maybe positioned whereever convenient. On the end of the shaft 29 is a crank 86 which is'usedfor rotating the shaft to actuate the drum. Axially of each extension runs a shaft 37 on which is t-iltably mounted a grip engaging member having one end in the form of a pawl 38 provided with a flat underside and a curvedly beveled inner edge. Each pawl is provided with a counter weight 39 which normally holds the pawl up a ainst a stop member 40 formed inwardly of the casing.

The grip member or plunger is provided with an ogival head 41 having a shank 42, a passage 43 being formed axially of the head and communicating with a slot 44 extending radially of the shank and having a guide roller 4C5 mounted therein. At the upper end of the plunger shank is an eye 46 to which may be shackled the end of a hoisting cable 47. a

In order to understand the operation let it be supposed that a submarine equipped with one or more of these devices has sunk and cannot be raised by its own power. The buoy is released by pulling the lever 35 and rises to the surface where it may readily be seen. This buoy, being observed by a rescue vessel, is taken aboard the latter and the guide cable is led through the passage in the plunger, it being understood that such plungers are to be carried on all ships liable to be called on to raise a sunken submarine. The hoisting cable is shackled to the plunger and paid out so that the latter descends along the guide ropeor cable and the plunger head enters the casing, being guided by the slanting sides, then depresses the pawls and brings up against a stop flange 48 which prevents injury to the drum. As soon as the head passes the pawls the latter assume their original position and the hoisting cable may now be led to a suitable winch 'or capstan and the submarine hoisted.

There has thus been provided a simple and efiicient device of the kind described and for the purpose specified.

It is obvious that minor changes may be made in the form and construction of the invention without departing from the material spirit thereof. It is not, therefore, desired to confine the invention to the exact form herein shown and described, but it is desired to include all such as properly come within the scope claimed.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, is:

l. A device for raising sunken submarines comprising, a casing having an open end adapted to be secured to the upper part of a submarine hull with the open end upwardly and the lower end projecting within the submarine, a winding drum mounted in the lower part of the casing and having a buoy cable wound thereon, a buoy fixed to the end of the cable and normally seated in the upper end of the casing, a pair of pawls mounted in opposition lntermediate the ends of said casing, means to limit the upward movement of said pawls, and a plunger adapted to have a hoisting cable attached thereto and slidable on said guide rope, said plunger having a head engageable below said pawls and a shank adapted to pass between the pawls.

2. A device for raising sunken submarines comprising, a casing having an open end adapted to be secured to the upper part of a submarine hull with the open end upwardly and the lower end projecting within the submarine, a winding drum mounted in the lower part of the casing and having a buoy cable wound thereon, a buoy fixed to the end of the cable and normally seated in the upper end of the casing, a pair ofpawls mounted in opposition intermediate the ends of said casing, means to limit the upward movement of said pawls, a plunger adapted to have a hoisting cable attached thereto and slidable on said guide rope, said plunger having a head engageable below said pawls and a shank adapted to pass between the pawls, means to wind said drum and means whereby the winding means may be quickly released from the drum.

3. A device for raising sunken submarines comprislng, a casing having an open end adapted to be secured to the upper part of a submarine hull with the open end upwardly and the lower end projecting within the submarine, a winding drum mounted in the lower part of the casing and having a buo cable wound thereon, a buoy fixed to the end of the cable and normally seated in the upper end of the casing, a pair of pawls mounted in opposition intermediate the ends of said casing, means to limit the upward movement of said pawls, a plunger adapted to have a hoisting cable attached thereto and slidable on said rope, said plunger having a head engageable below said pawls and a shank adapted to pass between the pawls, a shaft on which said drum is mounted, a gear fixed on said shaft, a. second shaft, a gear on the second shaft normally engaging the first gear, and means to engagev and disengage said gears.

4. A device for raising sunken submarines comprising, a casing having an open end adapted to be secured to the upper part of a submarine hull with the open end upwardly and the lower end projecting within the submarine, a winding drum mounted in the lower part of the casing and having a buoy cable wound thereon, a buoy fixed to the end of the cable and normally seated in the upper end of the casing, a pair of pawls mounted in opposition intermediate the ends of said casing, means to limit the upward movement of said pawls, a plunger adapted to have a hoisting cable attached thereto and slidable on said guide rope, said plunger having a head engageable below said pawls and a shank adapted to pass between the pawls, a shaft on Wlnch said drum is mounted, a gear fixed on said shaft, a second shaft, a gear on the lower part of the casing and having a' buoy cable wound thereon, a buoy fixed to the end of the cable and normally seated in the upper end of the casing, a pair of pawls mounted in opposition intermediate the ends of said casing, means to limit the upward movement of said pawls, a plunger adapted to have a hoisting cable attached thereto and slidable on said guide rope, said plunger having a head engageable below said pawls and a shank adapted to pass betw env the pawls, a shaft on which said drum is mount ed, a gear fixed on said shaft, a second shaft,

a gear on the second shaft normally engaging the first gear, said second shaft being slidably and rotatably mounted parallel to the first shaft, a shipper collar fixed on the second shaft, a shipper lever engaging the shipper collar, and means to actuate the shipper lever.

6. A device for raising sunken submarines comprising, a casing having an open end adapted to be secured to the upper part of a submarine hull with the open end upwardly and the lower end projecting within the submarine, a winding drum mounted in the lower part ofthe casing and having a buoy cable wound thereon, a buoy fixed to the end oft-he cable and normally seated in the upper end of the casing, a pair of pawls mounted in opposition intermediate the ends of said casing,means to limit the upward movement of said pawls, a'plunger adapted ,to have a hoisting cable attached thereto and slidable on said guide rope, said plunger having a head engageable below said pawls and a shank adapted to pass between the pawls, a shaft on which said drum is mounted, a gear iii-zed on said shaft, a second shaft, :1 gear on the second shaft normally engag ingthe first gear, said second shaft being slidably and rotatably mounted parallel tothe first shaft, a shipper collar fixedon the second shaft, a shipper lever engaging the shipper collar, means to actuate the shipper lever, a ratchet on said second shaft, and a pawl normally engaging the ratchet to hold. it from rotation.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

LEONARD T. GARDNER. 

